Heel pad



A ril 29,1930] Y T. TANIGAWA HEEL PAD Filed July 6, 1929 INVENTOR 7 4 9' BY Z ATTORN EY' D SATES TOMIZO TANIGAWA, OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO FRED K. MAKING, OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII HEEL PAID Application filed July 6, 1929. Serial No. 376,420.

This invention relates to heel pads or cushions for use between the heel of the human i foot and the inside sole of the shoe or boot.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a cheap, elastic, comfortable, cushion pad of this character to support the weight of .the'body and relieve it of the jars incident to the walking on hard floors and the like and to correct the tendency to uneven wear on the heel portion of the sole of the shoe or other foot wear.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a pad of this character with a filling the particles of which are free to move 1' in relation to each other thus forming a mobile, plastic, elastic cushion producing the greatest degree of comfort and the particles of which are adapted to accommodate themselves to the conformation of each individual heel thereby counteracting the tendency to an uneven distribution of weight in walking, which is the cause of uneven wear of the heels of shoes and other foot wear.

Tn carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modification without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of'the claimed heel and the other face of which formed of adhesive fabric as shown at 3 which automatically attaches the article to the inside of the shoe. The upper leather facing 52 has an extension 4: at itsfront end which is designed to provide atapered connection with the shoe at the shank thereof as shown clearly in Fig. 1"to avoid any objectionable rough place and the edge of this projection or lip 4 is preferably skived along its upper free edge as'shown at 5 to more effectively accomplish the fiat fitting of the flap against the shoe sole.

These heel pads are of course made to fit the heel as is usual with pads of this character and have the front end cut square across where it extends under the instep. The two faces or fabrics are stitched together around their edges and after they have had the filling inserted therein they are stitched together transversely as shown at 6 to secure a connection for the facing and to hold the filling within the pad.

The pad so formed by the facings 2 and 3 is filled loosely or comparatively loosely with a filling composed of dry, finely comminuted cured rubber. The characteristic of this filling is that its particles are free to move in relation to each other forming a mobile, plastic, elastic, cushion which produces the greatest degree of comfort possible and at the same time provides a soft pliable springy pad the free movement of the particles of which adapt it to readily accommodate to the conformation of each individual heel and thereby counteract the tendency of an uneven distribution of weight in walking, removing the cause of the uneven wear on the heels of shoes and other foot wear. This filling which constitutes the gist of the invention provides an entirely elastic and at the same time very soft and pliable pad which absorbs jars more effectively than the pads heretofore used and its finely divided condition makes it readily take on the form and shape of the heel and shoe in a manner that is impossible with material that is permanently formed, molded or compressed into a pad. This material renders it possible for this pad to correct the unequal thrust and push that accompanies peculiarities in gaits and thereby prevent the lateral strains which cause uneven wear on the heel which causes the shoes to run over.

lVithout further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, Without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

I claim:

1. An inside heel pad for shoes having a filling oiimaterial consisting of small particles of elastic substance capable of changing their. relative position under pressure and conforming to the uneven stresses exerted 1O pon them to produce complete freedom from jar and strain.

2. An inside heel pad having a filling composed of dry, finely comminuted, cured rubber. v 3. A heel cushion composed of disks of pliable leather and fabric arranged in superposed relation and. secured together around their edges with a filling between them composed of dry, finely comminuted, cured rub- V ber providing. great pliability, elasticity and mobility to the pad, thereby insuring comfort to'the wearer. V TOMIZO TANIGAWA. 

